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The BFL "Expansion Era" (2018 - 2021)
The BFL "Expansion Era" (2018 - 2021) When the BFL began operations in April 2015, they had very little money outside of business costs, and the money to keep the league open in general. As it was previously explained, the league suffered from a national fanbase much smaller than anticipated. In it's first two seasons (2015 & 2016), the league only had an income total of $275M. Low numbers were detrimental, but when you measure in costs, they lost $800M. It was well known that Jim Tading was a third-party in Microsoft, and a fourth-party in Apple, as well as the co-founder of Sega, making him worth at least $1.5B. What most fans don't know, is Tading took on the league's losses in 2015 and 2016, meaning he lost $400M of his own money. In 2017, the league's popularity grew a bit more, but the BFL still lost $120M that year. Tading needed to find a way to increase revenue, and fast. Then, something remarkable happened. NFL players began transferring to the BFL. Fans of those players began to realize the BFL was no threat, and could be enjoyed along with the NFL. While some extreme NFL fans still wanted nothing to do with another pro football league. enough people made the adjustment that the 2018 season was projected to bring the BFL their first profit. Then, following the ESPN Signing, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell began launching a series of a few support campaigns for the BFL. More fans were made aware through the NFL. By the end of the 2017 NFL season, which saw the Los Angeles Rams win Super Bowl LIII, the BFL's national fanbase had a projected national fanbase increase... of about 200%! With a new sense of confidence, Tading put all but $500M of his remaining $900M in his assets, into stocks for the 2018 season. In 2018, the BFL turned in a profit... of $750M! It was a financial boom, but the best was yet to come. When you take into account the $650M Tading put into stocks prior to the season, that met a return.. of another $800M, putting the league's net value at almost $1.5B. With all that money, Tading and the Board of Directors began careful planning on how to use it. After a number of meetings that lasted about a full two months, Tading made an announcement that rocked everyone in the BFL. He announced that between 2018 and 2021, the BFL would be expanding from 16 teams, to 20. The entire league was surprised the same. Not too long after the announcement was made, Tading began sending the polls to the ten destinations. Those destinations were: Arizona(86%), Cleveland(53%), Cincinatti (82%), Milwaukee (90%), Green Bay (38%), London (99%), Miami (70%),D.C.(The District of Columbia) (83%), Vancouver (92%) and Sacramento (65% to a second team). Following the 2019 season, the league's New Jersey franchise folded, so Tading made a controversial move in buying the Omaha Nighthawks from the struggling UFL to replace them. By 2022, the league said hello to six new franchises: the Arizona Outlaws, Cincinatti Crusaders, Milwaukee Hounds, Omaha Nighthawks, the first ever international pro football franchise, the London Royals, as well as the BFL's first ever Canadian franchise, the Vancouver Beavers . Tading considers the Expansion Era to be the beginning of cementing a lasting impact on pro football. During these three years, Tading and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell became very good friends, which would later lead to The NFL- BFL Agreement, which placed the BFL directly under the NFL as the second most popular sports league in the U.S., which is a huge step up from where they were just three years prior.